Cirque du Nuit
by OnTheWinterSolstice
Summary: Darren runs away from the Cirque only to stumble upon another--but this one is completely different. In a horrific way. mm ya sorry i suck at summaries READ PLEASE!
1. The Girl with BlueGray Eyes

Alright so I have much of this story all written out, but I wanted to post a first chapter because

A friend wanted to read it and

If its good and if I should post more!

Even if you're only the slightest bit interested, let me know! Cuz the rest is much MUCH better! :D

Excuse the lame excuse (LOL) at the very beginning…I just really wanted to get this up ^^

Disclaimer: um ya…do I really need to say it? well…I don't own CDF. If I did, the movie would have been waaay better…nuttin bad about the books though ^^

Here we go!

CHAPTER 1

Cirque du Nuit

Trees and shadows, sweat and tears, all blended into each other as I sprinted through the forest. Mr. Crepsley was a goddamn fruitcake. Yeah that's right. A fruitcake. I knew I was being immature, but he was really getting on my nerves. The constant nagging and ordering around was intolerable on my teenage mind.

The Cirque du Freak had been stationed in the outskirts of San Francisco, and as soon as Mr. Crepsley had left at midnight to feed, I escaped. I told Evra I was running away, and he tried to stop me but I was too frustrated and stubborn at the time to listen. Now I wish I had…

Unable to force another step, I stopped and collapsed onto my knees, panting heavily. Once I was breathing normally, I brought my head up and looked about myself. I was on a dirty sidewalk next to some filthy buildings. I must be in the lower side of some city. The moon grinned down at me from directly above my head. Shakily I got to my knees and stumbled to the nearest building. A theatre. _How ironic,_ I thought. Grime smothered the doorknob and my hand as I opened the door and peered inside. With my vampire sight I could make out the shapes of dusty chairs and tables lined along a hallway that seemed to stretch forever. The theatre seemed abandoned, so I didn't bother being quiet while I walked down the long expanse of darkness. Eventually I reached a heavy curtain and brushed it aside, revealing an exquisite theatre sitting area. The velvet seats were incredibly soft under my touch as I gently ran my fingers over the arm rests and strode down the aisle toward the stage.

When I reached it I noticed it was a foot taller than me, but it proved no challenge to hop up onto the black wood. Suddenly a strange smell drifted into my nostrils. It smelled like the sea—seaweed, shells, and fish. I turned and faced the seats. Was it my imagination, or was there a…fog? A slow mist was rolling in through the doorway. The oceanic aroma grew stronger. Straining my eyes, I could see the silhouette of a person sauntering down the aisle through the fog. White tendrils curled up and wrapped around my ankles, slithering up to my neck, like a ghost's fingers stroking my entire body. One particular tendril suddenly plunged itself up my nose and down my throat, and I felt my lungs fill with the moist vapor. It froze my lungs and breathing became near impossible. I fell to my knees as my legs gave way beneath me. As my remaining strength was sapped, a figure loomed above me. I looked up and saw a teenage boy staring down at me coldly, a look of fierce concentration upon his face. His eyes were like mini oceans, hidden behind a veil of light brown hair. He would have been handsome, if his lips weren't turned up into a sneer of pure evil. I opened my mouth to speak but more fog flowed in, and black spots danced in front of my eyes.

"Lynne," a voice said. It didn't exactly radiate authority, but it had an edge of steel that seemed to cut through the fog. My eyes focused on an attractive girl, no more than 15 or 16, with long brown hair and startling blue-gray eyes. She wore sweats and a tank top, probably having just gotten out of bed.

"Lynne, go back to bed," she said.

I didn't think the boy with the sea-green eyes would listen, but immediately he straightened up and exited the theatre. The fog dissolved and I could breathe clearly again. The girl sauntered up the stairs and onto the stage, stepping closer and closer until she was only a few feet away. She made to move to help me up.

"What are you doing here?" she asked slightly forcefully.

"I ran away." I answered, getting to my feet.

"From where?"

I paused. Should I tell her? She seemed to be reading my mind because she took a step closer, saying, "Oh, come on, you can trust me."

Something about the way her voice rolled out of her mouth and into my ears persuaded me to tell her every little detail of what happened. She listened quietly, absorbing the information. When I finished she nodded.

Suddenly she asked, "How did you get here so fast?"

Her question caught me off-guard.

"Huh?" I replied stupidly.

"Well first of all you said you…_ran_? And second of all, you said you left San Francisco at midnight. You are now in Seattle and it's 3 in the morning. How did you do it?"

"Um…I'm i-in track…a-at school…" I realized that still didn't make sense though, so I added, "And I lied about running the whole way."

"Ah…" She didn't seem to believe me. "You must be tired." She suddenly stated. And suddenly I did feel like curling up and falling asleep right there. The girl was already walking back up through the seats. I hurried after her.

"I'm sorry you were almost killed," she was saying. "That was Lynne by the way, Lynne Downing. I'm sure you'll be running into him again. Watch yourself though, he's rather reckless."

"How did he do it?" I asked.

"Do what?"

"Make fog appear out of thin air and practically drown me!"

We continued down a flight of stairs and through a long hallway.

"That's just it," she said matter-of-factly.

My eyebrows furrowed together in confusion, and I was about to ask what she meant when we stopped in front of a door. The girl opened it for me and I stepped in. It was dark, save for a single candle. There were no windows, and a cot was set up on one wall, but nothing else.

"You can sleep in here." The girl said.

I thanked her.

"And be careful," she advised softly.

"Why?"

Sighing, she turned to leave. "Because…"

Then she was gone.

Ok so as I said at the beginning, LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!!!

Si'l vous plait?

Por favor?

Please?

With a cherry on top?

Or any other dessert topping of your choice?

Hehe luv :)


	2. Ignorance is My New Best Friend

Well! Due to GREAT demand from a certain someone (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE) only moments after posting the first chapter, I must post the second. *sigh* oh well! ^^ here ya go!!!

CHAPTER 2

The next morning I woke to the sound of voices and footsteps outside my door. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and groggily got to my feet. Pain shot up through my legs and I collapsed back onto the bed. My muscles were extremely sore from yesterday, and I could barely stand. After a while of painful stretching, I was able to walk.

As I reached for the handle I snapped to my senses and yanked my hand back. Should I go out? All the girl had said was to be careful. So I would be. I opened the door a crack and peered out. Seeing nobody, I edged out. Suddenly a short girl with dirty blond hair, a plaid skirt, knee high socks, and a tight t-shirt rounded the corner. Before I could dive back into the room she shouted at me.

"Hey! Have you seen Marisa?"

I faced her sheepishly and she froze. "Who are you? Are you new?"

"I…err…not exactly." I replied.

"Then what are you doing here?" Her voice had turned skeptical.

"I, uh, arrived last night. I met this girl. She, um, had long brown hair and blue eyes…?"

"Oh, yeah, you mean Marisa." The girl replied. "Well I'm looking for her too so come on." She hooked arms with me and we started off down the hall. We passed Lynne, who glared intently at me.

"Wow man, you've already pissed off Mermaid-Boy? Nice!" She grinned at me.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh EVERYBODY here hates him. And he hates everybody. Well except Marisa."

"Does he like her?"

"We think so, because he vows he'd give up his life for her and protect her and all that crap. And he's always staring at her…I'm Mary by the way."

"Darren." I replied.

Heading up the stairs, Mary said, "Hm…Darren…Marisa has always liked that name."

As we arrived at the top of the steps, we turned a sharp corner and suddenly we were in the theatre. Speaking of Marisa, there she was, sitting in the front row of seats reading a book. She looked completely relaxed, the opposite of how she was the previous night.

Mary had disappeared off my arm and was skipping down the aisle.

"Marisa!" she called.

Marisa snapped her book shut as Mary plopped in the seat next to her. Mary said something in a low voice and Marisa nodded. Mary said something else and I locked eyes with Marisa. After a second she looked back at Mary and shook her head. Then she beckoned for me to come over. When I was standing in front of her she said, "We were never properly introduced. I am Marisa Mallinson."

"Darren Shan." I answered.

Marisa glanced at Mary and I noticed she was now wearing jeans and a white button-down shirt instead of her previous sweats. As I studied her, she studied me. Coming to a conclusion, she said, "I wasn't finished. I'm Marisa Mallinson, ringmaster of this circus."

I blinked. "Circus?"

"Why yes," she said, standing and walking up the steps onto the stage. "This is the Cirque du Nuit."

I recalled brief snippets of French from my memory. _Circus of the Night._

I looked at Marisa, at her soft pretty face that seemed so innocent, wondering how she could manage an entire circus.

"How old are you?" I asked her.

"I just turned 15." She answered.

I jumped up next to her with ease. "So how did you manage to come by that?"

She studied me, her iceberg eyes scrutinizing my every feature.

Stepping closer until she was only inches away, she said coolly, "Right now, ignorance is your new best friend."

Well there ya go little missy! Hahaha

Review!


	3. The Ringmaster's Story

I've decided to just post everything I have written for this story so far! So here we go!

CHAPTER 3

Without warning she swiveled and made her way to the exit, and on an impulse I decided to follow her.

When she had passed through the curtains I peered through the crack when Lynne appeared out of nowhere and stepped in front of her.

"Who's the new kid?" He asked.

"Nobody," she said, stepping to the side, but Lynne blocked her way.

"Then why did you stop me from killing him?" Lynne questioned, edging closer.

I could see the dangerous glint in his eyes and was just about to spring out when Marisa replied, "Just because our business is killing people doesn't mean we can go all willy-nilly. And besides," she added. "I think he may be one of us."

Lynne's eyes widened and Marisa pushed past him.

She started down the stairs and I shadowed her movements. My foot slipped and I jumped up a flight of stairs before Marisa could spot me. When she started moving again, I did too, but suddenly she whipped around and saw me. I froze, and I was positive I looked like a small child who just got himself caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Are you following me?" she asked suspiciously.

I shook my head vigorously like said small child and I noticed the twitch of a smile on her lips. But it soon disappeared when I asked, "What do you mean I may be one of you?"

She paused, irritation flooding her every pore.

"You were spying on me?" She accused.

I took a step down.

"No! Well… I was coming to find you and I thought Mermaid-Boy was going to hurt you so I hid but he didn't but I heard everything you two said…" Everything came out in a rush then trickled to a stop.

She sighed.

"Fine," She said. "Follow me."

She brushed past me and back up into the theatre. Taking a sharp right, she lead me to a dark door with gold lettering that read "Level 4" and up yet another flight of stairs. It was pitch black but she seemed to know her way. When we reached the curtain, she pushed it aside and we walked out onto the highest balcony in the theatre. The view was breath-taking: every seat was visible, for we were at least 40 feet off the ground. She settled in a seat by the railing and I took the one next to her.

"Do you want to know how I became the ringmaster?" she suddenly splurted.

I nodded. I certainly _was_ curious.

"Well, it all started about 6 months ago. I loved this circus so much, and I wanted it to be mine. I'll admit I'm pretty selfish because I've lived my whole life getting what I want. So I approached the previous ringmaster, Tom Dhotre. Now he was a kind man, but could be strikingly harsh at times. One day I finally mustered up the courage to ask him for the Cirque, but he declined. He said the day I could pay him a million dollars was the day I would be the new ringmaster.

"I hurried to the bank and got the money.

'Mr. Dhotre!' I had called to him. 'Come to the orchestra pit!'

He did so and once I had coaxed him inside, I shut and locked the door behind him. He banged and banged on the doors, but I didn't hesitate.

"Days previously, I had built a false roof. In the space between the fake roof and the real roof, were 100 million pennies. I ran out onto the stage and pulled the rope that was attached to the trapdoor. The sound of pennies raining down soon entered my ears and the sound of Mr. Dhotre's screams grew more and more desperate."

Marisa paused here, and I gaped at her in horror.

"I don't know whether he was suffocated or crushed by the pennies, but either way he died. Quite the mess to clean up, really. Anyway, so I became the new ringmaster, and everyone was, of course, fine with it.

"Until one day his son found out. His son is Thomas Dhotre the 2nd, or Tommy as we call him. And ever since that day, he has loathed me. He has promised to kill me, but never has. Now take in mind, this kid is only 8 years old. But he's as cruel as a viper."

Her voice had been unemotional while telling the story, like she was recalling a tale of a picnic on a windy summer day.

"What is this?" I whispered.

"It's a killing business, really. Usually the audience is our victims. The victims are rich people that other richer people have hired us to kill."

"How come no one has found out or reported you?" I questioned.

"Anyone who comes snooping gets a nice talking to from me." She answered simply.

For about the 4th time, I studied Marisa's soft face and gorgeous eyes.

"You don't seem very intimidating." I instantly regretted my words, though. Suddenly Marisa's face was only an inch from my own, and I could almost physically feel the iciness of her gaze.

"And you don't seem like you could hurt a fly." She replied nastily.

Anger swelled up inside me.

"Punch yourself in the face." Marisa said.

What?! No way was I going to do that! Not with my vampire strength!

"Punch yourself in the face." Marisa repeated.

"No!"

"Oh come on," she said, leaving back casually. "It's just a punch. It'll heal. It's not like I'm asking you to jump off the balcony."

Yeah, I thought. She's right! It won't be that bad!

Suddenly I punched my own cheek.

It was like being hit with a 90 mph baseball pitch.

"Fuck!" I cried before I could stop myself. Bringing a hand up to the already bright red flesh, I caressed it gently. Marisa stayed silent, watching me like she was watching paint dry.

Eventually the pain dulled into a throb, but I knew there would be an ugly bruise soon enough.

Marisa leaned forward again. Gently stroking my stinging cheek, she said, "Still think I'm not intimidating?"

I growled lightly.

She smiled.

"How did you do that?"

"Do what?" she asked innocently, but the smile still graced her soft pink lips. She stood up from the chair.

"You know damn well," I replied, also getting to my feet.

"Do I?" she said with the same fake innocence.

Ok. Enough of this.

I scooped her up in my arms and leapt over the railing. Her scream nearly broke my eardrum, but it stopped when we landed with a loud thud 40 feet below. I placed Marisa on her feet but before she could recover I slammed her up against the nearest wall, holding her arms in place to keep her from escaping.

She struggled for a few seconds, before deciding it was completely useless.

Leaning forward until my mouth was right next to her ear, I whispered, "Still think I couldn't hurt you?"

She shivered as my freezing breath flowed over her neck.

I pulled back to look at her face. Her lips were slightly parted and her chest rose up and down quickly, but I didn't see any fear in her eyes.

In fact, she brought her leg up and slammed her heel into my shin.

I recoiled, releasing her.

"Marisa!"

We turned our heads to the main entrance. Lynne was sprinting toward us. A white fog was rolling in. I grabbed Marisa and held her tightly in front of me, recalling what Mary had said about Lynne wanting to protect her. He hesitated, but didn't stop. Soon I could only see a few feet in front of me. Then Lynne appeared. With a swipe of his hand, the mist forced itself into my lungs. Instinctively, I reached for the knife in my belt and pressed it to Marisa's throat.

She gasped slightly and pushed closer to me, trying to get away from the fatal weapon. Butterflies burst in my stomach at the contact, but I ignored it.

It was getting harder to breathe.

"Stop," I gasped. "Or I'll slice her throat."

I felt Marisa's pulse quicken, and I knew she was scared.

The fog didn't let up.

I pressed the blade harder into her flesh, drawing a few drops of blood. My hunger suddenly enveloped me as I breathed in the aroma. It was delicious. Like vanilla and lavender…

I shook my head and tried to clear my thoughts.

"Lynne?" The voice was so soft and frightened it took me a second to realize it had come from the girl before me.

Lynne had had his eyes focused on me, but now they flicked to Marisa.

All of a sudden the fog disappeared, and I could breathe easily again.

"Release her." Lynne snarled.

Not because he told me to, but because I felt I would suck her dry if I remained close to her any longer, I did so, shoving her away from me. She stumbled but Lynne caught her, pushing her behind him protectively. Lynne and I glared at each other for a moment. Then I looked at Marisa. She wasn't scared. She wasn't sad. She wasn't angry. I couldn't describe it but she seemed…amused?

Before I could figure it out Lynne said, "Get out of here."

I sprinted past them and out of the theatre, but I didn't leave altogether. I heard footsteps and hid behind the curtain. Marisa and Lynne strode by, making their way down the stairs.

On some weird impulse I decided to follow them.

As quietly as I could, I shadowed them all the way down the steps and to the far end of the hallway, where they turned into a doorway, shutting the door behind them. I hurried forward and crouched in front of the door, aware that at any moment someone could come round the corner and catch me.

"Are you alright?" Lynne's voice suddenly filtered into my ear.

"Yes." Marisa answered.

"Let me help you…"

I heard footsteps, then the sound of water running, and more footsteps.

"Sit here…" Lynne said softly.

There was a creaking of springs and a sharp inhale of breath.

"Sorry, I don't get any warm water in here."

"It's OK," Marisa replied.

"Do you think he really would have killed you?"

There was a pause.

"No." Marisa responded.

Footsteps again. A door closing.

"You only need this on for an hour or so," Lynne instructed.

"Thank you for stopping though."

"Huh?" Another pause. "Oh…yeah you're welcome."

The creaking noise again. More footsteps, this time two pairs. I slipped away from the doorway and ducked around the corner just as the door opened.

"Thank you," Marisa said.

"Anytime."

Alright. This was a long chapter! Better be happy! :P


	4. The Performance

CHAPTER 4

The Cirque du Nuit was performing tonight. I had retreated to my room after eavesdropping on Marisa and Lynne.

An hour or so later, Marisa had peeked in.

"I was seeing if you were still here," she explained calmly.

" 'Course. Didn't think I'd actually leave, did you?"

"Actually, yeah…Anyway we're performing tonight so just stay in here til midnight. Then you can come and watch."

I nodded.

Marisa stared at me.

I stared back.

She came fully into the room, and shut the door behind her, leaning back against it.

"What?" I asked.

Silence.

I sighed, getting up from my bed and walking over to her.

I cleared my throat.

"Um…I'm sorry." I said awkwardly.

She smiled triumphantly, before slipping back out again.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Cirque Du Nuit."

The audience clapped, some people wolf-whistling.

I stood at the very back of the theatre, watching the show critically, doubting it would be better than the Cirque du Freak.

Marisa was onstage now, clad in a blood-red, old-fashioned silk dress. And as much as I hated to admit it, she looked hot.

"Now I warn you," she was saying. "This show will horrify you. And all of what you see is real."

I couldn't help but think of Mr. Tall, for their words were almost exactly alike.

"No matter what you hear or see, you must not leave this theatre! No sudden noises and be aware of your surroundings…

"Now! Please give a warm welcome to our first act: Mary Caldwell!"

More clapping. The little girl in the plaid skirt came on stage, wearing almost an identical outfit as earlier. She had no props, no back-up music, no anything.

"Raise your hand," she said. "If you've gotten you're Tetanus Shot."

Nearly everyone's hand rose.

Mary focused on the audience, and with a sudden wave of her hand, about 10 people were suddenly racked by seizures, their limbs jerking in every direction. Snapping bones and cries of pain filled the room, and then as soon as it had started, the spazzing victims stopped and collapsed. They were dead.

Ooh! A cliffhanger! Sort of lol. Here comes the creepiness/goriness so beware!!!


	5. The Performance: Part Deux

People really seem to like this! Which makes me INCREDIBLY happy! You don't even know! Reviews make my day so review please!

Now I'll warn you, this chapter is rather graphic…sorry :)

CHAPTER 5

People began screaming, and they stood from their seats and rushed to the doors, only to find them locked.

"Hemophilia," Mary whispered.

Half of the people suddenly clutched their heads and collapsed to the floor. Blood poured from their mouths, and soon enough it even oozed out of their pores.

The screams became even louder.

"Endocarditis."

Another group gripped their chests over their hearts. They paused and crumpled to the floor, convulsed a few moments, then fell still.

Over half the audience now lay on the floor dead.

I stared in utter horror and shock. A little boy, no more than 8, appeared next to the people still attempting to escape.

He spoke a few words that I couldn't hear, and the still-alive audience members straightened and returned to their seats without hesitation.

_What the hell?_

Mary had left the stage and now there was a 50 or so year old man standing next to a cage.

"I am Dr. Payne. I will need a volunteer…" His eyes scanned over the crowd.

"Ah! You! Yes, dear boy, you!"

A blond man in the front row stood and walked up the steps and into the cage Dr. Payne was gesturing towards.

He shut and locked the door with a heavy padlock.

Dr. Payne pulled a syringe out of his jacket pocket, and I could see the tip of the 5 inch needle glinting under the stage-lights. A few members of the audience shifted uncomfortably at the sight of it.

"In here," the doctor said. "Are plasmids from a wild boar. A plasmid is a small ring of DNA."

He strode over to the cage and swiftly pressed the needle into the man's arm, squeezing every last drop into his blood stream. Nothing happened for a few moments, but then he dropped to the floor and lay still.

"Don't fret! It merely takes a few moments for the plasmids to make their way into his cells! But while we wait, allow me to explain what is happening…

"You see, the DNA from the wild boar will wriggle its way into the cells of this man, break his DNA, and fit itself in. And yes, you guessed it, giving him some characteristics of a hog."

By now the blond man had gotten to his knees, and was sniffing the ground suspiciously. A couple gasps escaped from the spectators.

Snorting, the man in the cage lunged himself at the bars repeatedly, and soon enough blood was dripping from gashes in his head.

"Unfortunately," Dr. Payne continued. "I haven't perfected it yet. They do change, yes, but before I can put them to good use they go insane and kill themselves."

I looked back to the blond man, and nearly gagged. A crack had appeared in his skull, and I could see something gray inside. Dr. Payne sighed as the man collapsed in a heap and lay still.

A small girl in a short white dress appeared on stage then and helped the doctor move the cage with the dead man inside back into the wings.

When she reappeared she had a soft smile on her face. She was rather pretty, with long black hair and creamy skin. Even from here, I could feel the ice in her eyes, though.

No one made any movements as she walked down the steps very slowly and approached a woman on the end of the aisle. Reaching up a tiny hand, she gently laid it on the woman's shoulder, almost reassuringly. Just as the woman relaxed, however, she froze. I mean literally, _froze. _First her skin turned an evil shade of blue. Then a thin layer of frost spread across her body. When the girl released her, the frozen body tipped onto the floor and shattered.

What happened when she thawed out, though?

My question was soon answered. She went up to another man and grabbed his hand with her own. He cowered away as his arm froze. His hand snapped off easily. But then, the girl grabbed his arm again and this time she seemed to be heating it. Soon, it was completely back to normal, and the blood gushed out of the open wound. He cried out in pain and fainted from the loss of blood.

Stepping over him, the girl sauntered to the back of the theatre, only a few seats from me. Before anyone could react, she gripped a young man's shoulders and her hands faintly glowed red. He screamed and tried to shake her loose, but she wouldn't let go. A tiny trail of smoke drifted up and I caught a whiff of burning flesh. It wasn't a pleasant aroma. I could even hear his blood boiling beneath his skin. With one final scream, he slumped in his chair.

With that, the girl skipped out of the theatre, her black hair flying out behind her.

What happened next surprised me. Lynne came out onto the stage in a simple t-shirt and jeans. "I am Lynne Downing," he said, his sea-green eyes glittering mischievously. "Now I'll need a volunteer…" He trailed off as his eyes settled on a young girl in one of the farther back rows. "Come here," he said, gesturing with his finger. She giggled girlishly and pranced up the steps next to him, standing a little closer than necessary. He winked at her and she giggled that annoying giggle of hers again. A familiar fog slinked up and around her body then propelled up her nose. She gasped and more fog filled her mouth and lungs. Opening her mouth wider, she began gasping for air, like a fish on dry land. Her eyes rolled back and she crumpled to the floor. But she wasn't dead yet. Suddenly her body jerked violently, over and over again. Her skin turned a light shade of blue, and she stopped.

Lynne grinned wickedly at her dead body, then turned to the audience.

"Did she just…drown?" I asked. It was completely involuntary, but I felt the need to say _something._ Lynne locked eyes with me and gave me a murderous glare. I knew I would be in trouble later.

"Yes," he answered simply. "And you'll be next." With that, he spun and stalked off-stage.

Next, a little boy (the same one from earlier) shyly came out from behind the curtain and stepped to the very edge of the stage. He didn't even look at the drowned girl. Reaching into his pocket, he produced a fairly large knife and tossed it to someone in the first row.

"I'm Tommy!" The little boy said with a quick wave. Suddenly everyone snapped to attention. Tommy giggled. "Oops!"

Waving his hand again, he said, "Kill them!"

The man who had caught the knife whipped to his left and stabbed the woman next to him. He did the same to the right.

With a wild cry, he went on a rampage throughout the seats, stabbing, slicing, and gutting everyone he passed. Before he reached me, I ducked into the shadows. Once everyone was either dead or dying, Tommy stopped him with a flick of his wrist.

"Now, kill yourself," he ordered. The man was still holding the blood-covered knife. Without hesitation, he brought it up to his neck and slice right through the skin.

I stood frozen to the spot. I couldn't even believe, make that _comprehend, _what had just happened. What _had _just happened? Approximately 40 or so people had just lost their lives in the most brutal of ways.


	6. My Pancake Gets Turned Into Worms

**Mm. so that last chapter was fun, wasn't it? LOL well this one is like a little break ^^ **

**review please!**

CHAPTER 6

The performers returned to their rooms to rest for the night. A bunch of strong, burly men covered in hair began the cleanup of the bodies and blood. Sickened, I couldn't stay any longer. I sprinted to my room, slamming the door behind me.

I collapsed onto the bed and shut my eyes tight, attempting to block out the ghastly images that continued to rampage my mind.

Before I knew it I had slipped into an uncomfortable sleep.

***

The next morning I woke to the sound of several voices in the hallway. With a groan I rose from the bed and rubbed my eyes, when it dawned on me that I must smell pretty terrible. I brushed it aside as I stepped toward the door and flung it open.

At least a dozen people were chatting happily as they passed, hands full of plates and glasses. The plates were stacked with pancakes and bacon and toast, which made my stomach growl hungrily.

Right as I set foot into the hall, something skinny and long wrapped itself around my ankle. Fearing it was a snake, I relaxed when I saw it was only a vine; a vine that was alive! I looked up frantically and locked eyes with a girl at the bottom of the staircase. She had curly brown hair with a daisy-chain crown and sported a flower-printed summer dress. With the peace-sign necklace, she looked like a serious love child. Her emerald eyes drilled into me as she stepped closer and closer.

"Hello," she said. Her voice was sickly-sweet, like a waterfall of melted chocolate. "My name is Juniper, but you can call me June."

"You…control plants?" I asked cautiously.

June flashed another dazzling smile as the vine traveled up to my waist. "Mhmm…"

Lynne sidled up next to us. "Don't flatter yourself. She'll chase after anybody." He sauntered away snickering.

His laugh morphed into a yell of surprise and a loud thud as he hit the floor. Now it was June's turn to cackle.

Turning her bright green eyes back on me, she inched closer, wrapping her fingers in my jacket collar.

"Juniper."

The affection in her eyes was replaced with annoyance.

"Yes, Marisa?" June said through gritted teeth.

"Shouldn't you be getting breakfast?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Are you sure? I hear the syrup is freshly made, today. You know how rare that is."

June seemed to have an internal struggle happening, but finally she released me. With a last envious glare at Marisa, she stalked off like a small child who was heading to a time-out session. Now that she was out of the way, I could see Marisa. She was wearing jeans and a t-shirt with a purple sweater.

"What's her problem?" I asked.

Marisa sighed. "She's jealous of me because she believes she's 'in love' with Lynne, but people say Lynne likes me."

"He does."

"Possibly. Anyway, would you care for some breakfast?"

I nodded and she led me to the door nearest the stairs. The room was bigger than I imagined; there were about 4 dining tables and a countertop full of food. A door directly across the carpeted floor must have led to the kitchen.

I stacked a plate high with pancakes and drowned them in syrup. I earned a lot of suspicious looks and I glanced around to find Marisa talking to Dr. Payne, so I headed to a fairly empty table.

I cut out a piece of pancake and put it in my mouth. Just as I started to chew, it turned slimy and mushy. Gagging, I spat it out onto the table. Worms!

Loud guffawing erupted from the other end of the table. I angrily looked over to see a few teen guys laughing their heads off at me.

I stomped over to them and they mockingly cowered in fear of me.

"Was that your doing?" I demanded.

The tallest guy—obviously the leader of his puny gang—merely replied, "So what if it was?"

I reached out to pound my fist on the table, but he must have thought I was going to hit him. He got a strange look in his eyes, and suddenly I couldn't breathe or see. I brought my hands up to my face and felt solid rock.

As suddenly as it appeared, it was gone. Gulping in air, I didn't bother moving as the guy stood and advanced menacingly.

"I wouldn't mess with me, if I were you," he sneered. I was about to point out that he was the one who had messed with me first, but stopped when I realized I couldn't move. The ground below me had magically changed into quicksand, and I was already knee-deep.

"I can morph matter to my will. I can change the air you breathe into lava. I can change your brain into a firework. I could do anything I wanted…"

Now I was waist deep and still sinking.

His gaze snapped up and he immediately backed off. The sand switched to a puddle and I stepped away fearfully.

"Marisa," he said, his previous snootiness gone. He was all smiles now.

"I see you've met Darren," she said.

"I…Yes. He's a very fine boy," he replied, only with a touch of sarcasm. Marisa rolled her eyes and grabbed my arm, dragging me away from the cackling bunch.

"I think you've met enough people for now," she said when we were back in the hallway.

She pursed her lips thoughtfully.

"Well…There is someone who said she wants to meet you. She makes it her duty to become friends with everyone."

"What's her name?"

"Jenn. You saw her perform last night."

Again she pulled me by the arm, but only a couple doors down.

Marisa knocked gently and I heard a high-pitched, "Come in!" return from the other side.

She shoved the door open and led me inside.

The bed had a Hello Kitty comforter and some anime pictures hanging on the walls. Sitting cross-legged on the pink bed was a girl with long black hair. Despite how tiny she was, she appeared to be maybe 14 years old. I recognized her, alright. She was the one who had fried people with her hands!

She sprung to her feet and skipped over to me, holding out a hand.

I didn't shake it.

"So you're Jenn?" I asked tentatively.

Her head bobbed excitedly. "You must be Darren!"

I nodded.

"Oh!" Jenn exclaimed, running over to the bed and picking up a piece of paper she had been writing on.

"I've written another one! A sonnet this time. I think it's my best one yet!" She grinned happily.

Marisa grabbed the paper and read it quickly while I read over her shoulder.

In neat handwriting, it read:

_Can you hear the screams in the pitch black room?  
Or see the blood drip down bright red?  
Don't they realize that this is their doom,  
Unless they all think this is in their head?  
This freak show is different from the rest,  
For you can't mock or jeer at our defect.  
The pleasure for us is the very best!  
It's your suffering we want to detect!  
Don't run, don't cry, for we must stay hidden.  
This is our home and we love it this way,  
For the acts you see here are forbidden.  
That's why we execute you right away!  
This is Cirque du Nuit, such a bloody sight!_

_This is Cirque du Nuit, circus of the night!_

Marisa's eyes shone with delight.

"Jenn, I love this. It's amazing." She smiled softly.

"It's good," I commented.

"You feel up to performing again tonight?" Marisa asked Jenn as she handed the sonnet back.

"Definitely!"

I cringed at her enthusiasm, considering it was enthusiasm to kill people, really.

"You're doing the show again tonight?" I asked.

Marisa nodded at me while advising Jenn on a costume then ushered me out the door with a quick good-bye.

"I'm really busy so just do whatever, I guess." She walked away without another word or so much as a glance at me.

I stared at her retreating back blankly.

**Awesome. Ok. So that was a pretty good chapter. Wait til you see whats next tho XD**

**REVIEW PLEASE! It makes my day :)**


	7. A New Performer

**Yea so this is the longest chapter yet. Almost 2,000 words! :O pretty intense. Just like camping. Hah. Haha. Camping. Is intense. Like…IN TENTS. *sigh* gotta love my friends…..**

**Anyway, this is a pretty good chapter.**

**I apologize that it doesn't flow that smoothly but im having writersish block :/**

**Review if its not too much trouble :)**

CHAPTER 7

The rest of the day slipped by without incident.

I stayed in my room the entire time, pondering the last couple days. My thoughts were only interrupted when Marisa came in, asking if I wanted to watch the show.

I turned down the invitation.

Around what I assumed was midnight, I heard excited voices flowing into my room as performers went by, getting ready for the show.

Soon enough it all quieted down, but only for a while. In no time screams echoed down from the theatre, causing me to cringe. This went on for an hour or so, but eventually the cries of pain and death subsided.

A few moments later the performers retreated to their rooms, and I got up and snuck into the dark hall. The coast clear, I hurried up the stairs. As soon as I reached the top the curtains parted and I dove into the shadows. To my surprise, Marisa appeared, wearing the same red dress from her previous show. Instead of heading downstairs, she walked about halfway down the hall toward the front doors then stepped behind a small side curtain. Curious, I pushed back the curtain to reveal a set of steep stairs. As quietly as I could, I ascended.

Eventually the steps ended at a door and I pushed it open gently. Peeking out, I could see I was now on the roof. Marisa was standing at the edge, her long hair floating in the tender breeze. She was going to jump!

"Marisa!" I shouted. Without thinking, I rushed toward her and wrapped my arms around her waist, yanking her away from the periphery. She gasped in surprise.

When I was sure she was safe, I released her and she whipped around. "What the heck? Why did you do that?" she cried.

I stared blankly. "I…I thought you were g-gonna j-jump."

She looked at me like I was mentally retarded.

"No!" she exclaimed. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself. "I always come up here after a show."

"Why?"

She narrowed her eyes, studying my face. Eventually she softened and sat on the edge of the building with her legs dangling.

"I never asked what you thought of it," she stated, changing the subject. "Did you like it?"

Suddenly I was angry. "No! That was horrible! How could you do that and not feel guilty?" I exclaimed. It came out harsher than I meant it to.

For a second I swear I saw something flash in her eyes—remorse?—but then her face hardened again. Pursing her lips, she turned away and looked up to the sky. I followed her gaze and gasped in surprise. The sky was littered with millions of stars. The moon smirked down at us, like it knew something we didn't.

"Has the Cirque du Nuit always been like this? I mean even before you were the ringmaster?" I inquired.

Marisa stayed silent for so long I thought she hadn't heard me. I looked back at her, and for the first time I noticed she had perfect posture.

"No," she finally said. "But I realized we made more money this way. I mean we could get anywhere from a thousand to a million dollars. And, at the time, all of us were starving, and I had to do _something."_

I sat next to her and realized she was shivering. Shrugging off my jacket, I laid it over her shoulders.

With a sigh she slipped it on gratefully as I asked, "You don't seem like you're starving anymore. Why don't you stop murdering innocent people?"

"More than half of them are more evil than we are," she spat. Her face suddenly turned sad. "And that's all we know how to do anymore…"

She turned her gaze to me.

"Are…" she paused and bit her lip.

"What?" I asked gently. Wait. Why the hell was I being so nice? She and her loony friends had just murdered a ton of people! But at the same time, even though I tried to resist it, I had started caring for this girl; this girl who was the ringmaster of a secret killing business.

"Are you…" She began again.

I got a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach.

She shook her head and muttered a "never mind" before observing the sky again.

Was she going to ask if I was a vampire? It seemed like she already knew. I briefly considered admitting my secret to her but immediately brushed it aside. Or…should I tell her? I certainly wouldn't have to worry about her being scared or thinking I was crazy.

In the end I figured no harm could come from coming clean about my being a vampire.

"Am I…a vampire?" I tried to ask casually.

She focused her iceberg eyes on me. They were so penetrating I adverted my gaze and looked up at the stars.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw her twist her body so she faced me. Suddenly I could feel her warm breath on my cheek. Turning my head, she was only inches away.

"Are you?" she whispered. Staring into her eyes, I couldn't resist the temptation to tell her.

I nodded slowly.

I swear I saw a dozen emotions flash behind her eyes—surprise, happiness, thoughtfulness, worry, and more.

"I knew it." That was all she said.

"What are you going to do?" I asked.

"Me?"

I nodded again.

She paused. "Nothing. But don't tell anyone else. Especially Lynne."

"Wait, why?"

"He had a bad run in with vampires when he was young, believe it or not. They killed his parents."

I shook my head. "They couldn't have been vampires, they must have been vampaneze."

She looked at me skeptically, so I explained the feud between vampires and vampaneze.

"Either way," she said. "Lynne won't care. He wouldn't listen long enough, anyway."

"You're right."

We both snapped our heads the doorway. I could only make out a silhouette in the dark shadows of the hallway, but as they stepped into the moonlight my chest tightened and I tensed. Lynne.

Marisa inhaled sharply.

"You're really going to believe all his bullshit?" Lynne accused Marisa.

Marisa and I sprang to our feet.

"He's a liar," Lynne snarled. "A liar and a deceiver. C'mon you've known me since we were 10. You trust me, right?"

I could see the internal struggle going on inside Marisa as she tried to decide.

"Lynne," she eventually said. He looked at her expectantly. "You know I trust you and I know you trust me. So trust me when I say Darren is fine. He's safe. He won't harm you."

Lynne went steely. "I'm not worried about myself."

Marisa sighed. "Lynne, please, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

Changing the subject, he said, "You know, I've never known you as the trusting type." His eyes switched to me.

"I told you that you would be next," he said menacingly, not allowing Marisa to answer. He advanced threateningly, bringing his hand up as if to summon the fatal fog. Just as I was about to draw my knife, Marisa stepped between us.

"Lynne! Please!" she said.

I could tell Lynne was just itching to hurt—or even kill—me, but he managed to stop himself. His attention wasn't fully attached to Marisa, though.

"He's a vampire! His kind is evil!" he shouted. His voice softened greatly. "They killed my parents, Marisa."

When Marisa remained quiet, I spoke up. "No," I protested. "They were _vampaneze. _They're different because they kill when they feed. Vampires don't. That's why they left the clan."

Unfortunately, he refused to listen. Faster than a snake, he rushed forward and tackled me, sending us both flying to the edge.

"No!" I head Marisa scream.

I could easily beat him, but I wanted to be careful with my strength. Despite his hate toward me, I didn't want to hurt him.

At least, not very much.

Shoving him off me, I hurried to my feet. That's when I realized I had shoved him too hard.

Lynne was rolling uncontrollably to the edge of the roof, flailing his arms in an attempt to grab a hold of something, _anything, _to keep him from plummeting to the street—50 feet below.

Instinctively, I clutched at his hand just as he tipped into open space. Luckily, I caught him but he nearly ripped my arm off. My other hand scrabbled at the brickwork to get a firm hold. For a frightening moment he was swinging, and then all was still.

Looking down at the boy in danger, he had a look of disgust on his face.

"I don't need to be saved by _you,_" he snarled nastily.

My mouth fell open, but I didn't let go.

"You'd rather die than let me save you?" I asked incredulously.

He nodded without hesitation. But then his eyes moved to my left and I saw true sadness in his face.

"Lynne…" It was Marisa. Glancing at her, she looked different than normal. Her distressed face was heartrending.

Lynne sighed and reached up with his other hand to grasp my wrist. "Pull me up," he ordered.

I did so, and as soon as he was standing safely on the roof, Marisa flew at him and hugged him hard.

"I thought you were dead," she said sadly.

Lynne looked like he was about to melt, and put his arms back around her comfortingly.

"I'll never leave you," he whispered into her hair.

With that, the two departed the roof without as much as a glance at me.

I sighed, and followed them down the stairs.

Just as we neared the entrance to the stage area, Jenn appeared at the top of the stairs.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice dripping with concern. "We all heard shouting and stuff up there!"

Marisa shook her head. "I'll explain later."

Lynne, who had had his arm laid on Marisa's shoulders, released her and said a quick goodnight before walking downstairs.

Jenn gave Marisa a quizzical look, but she waved it away. "Like I said, I'll explain later."

"Marisa! Marisa!" a voice called. All 3 of us turned to face the on comer: Tom Dhotre the 2nd, or Tommy, the son of the previous ringmaster. I still couldn't understand how a tiny boy could have so much malice as to kill.

Then I realized he was holding someone's hand, dragging them along, but they were laughing good-naturedly. He had messy blond hair and a long black coat over a blue shirt and jeans. Even though he was heavily clothed, I could tell he was very muscular, but lean. The new man was 16 or 17 and almost a head taller than me. Why did he look so familiar?

Beside me I heard Jenn let out a small gasp. When I glanced over she was practically swooning.

"Tommy, shouldn't you be in bed?" Marisa asked kindly.

"But I found a new one!"

"A new performer?"

Tommy nodded excitedly.

She then looked up to the newcomer. "I'm Marisa Mallinson." She stretched out a hand.

He kissed the top of her hand lightly. "Eli DiVaglio."

My brain was turning fast, trying to figure out who this guy was. A member of the Cirque du Freak? No. Some random vampire I had met with Mr. Crepsley? No…

With a sickening notion I realized who he was.

"Steve!" I cried.

**OMG its everyone's favorite character. Except for me. I hate him. Stupid, dumb, evil, child murdering, BASTARD. *sigh* but I can't help the fact that I love him…not as much as Darren though. Oh NO. never as much as Darren…**

**REVIEW PLEASE! :)**


	8. A Turbulent Forewarning

**Well hello there. I'd like to take this moment to thank everyone who reviewed. A very special thanks to ferretgirlsz and E.J. Dulore for reviewing every chapter :) Luv ya'll**

**Anywhoo, hope you like this chapter and I apologize if this seems rushed. I'm sure it does if the writer even thinks it but whatever haha. **

**Review si'l vous plait :)**

CHAPTER 8 (am I right?)

Everyone looked at me confusedly. Now I knew!

"His name isn't Eli," I said ecstatically. "It's Steve. Steve Leonard. We used to be best friends until I got turned into a vampire. The last time I saw him…" I trailed off, remembering the night in the cemetery. Steve had vowed he would get his revenge on me, one day. And now here he was.

"What are you talking about?" asked Jenn. "Why would he come here and lie about who he is?"

"To kill me!" I blurted.

Desperate, I turned to Marisa. She looked thoughtful, and I knew she would believe me. Meeting my gaze, she said, "It _would _make sense…"

Yes!

She faced Steve. "Is your real name Steve Leonard?"

He shook his head, just as confused as everyone else. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Marisa studied him for a few moments then turned to me. "You must be mistaken, Darren."

I gaped at her and started to protest, but she gave me a look like "now is not the time" then spoke to Jenn.

"Would you please show Eli to a good room?"

Jenn grinned and beckoned for Steve to follow her. He put his hand on Marisa's shoulder, giving her a kind smile, and for the tiniest second I saw her cold exterior break. He thanked her before heading off after Jenn.

"Why don't you go to bed, Tommy," she sighed. He was about to refuse but she gave him a stern look, and he sulked all the way down the stairs.

She opened her mouth to speak again but I put a finger to my lips and whispered, "He's probably still listening."

Much to my surprise, she nodded. Grasping my arm she pulled me down the hall and back up the stairs to the roof. As soon as the door opened, we were blasted full-force with the elements. A storm was raging; the wind blew the pouring rain sideways, and thunder shook the whole building as lightning lit up the air around us. It had just been a gorgeously clear night, but it had taken an ominous turn for the worse. A forewarning?

"He won't be able to hear us out here!" she grinned.

We stepped out, and almost immediately we were soaked.

"You _like _this?" I exclaimed.

She smiled and twirled around until she stood in the middle of the roof. I ran after her, marveling how young she seemed now. She was laughing and smiling and spinning like a little kid. I clutched her arm to stop her. Apparently it wasn't a big deal now that her dress was ruined. Her hair dripped into her eyes but she didn't mind. A smile lit up her face and she looked truly beautiful. Without thinking, I brought my hand up and moved the hair from her eyes, smiling softly. Realizing what was happening, we both pulled away, and I was positive my face was as red as a strawberry.

"So…Steve," I said nervously.

After a minute Marisa said, "I believe you. I don't know why but I do. Why would he come though?"

I explained to her how Steve had wanted to become a vampire but Mr. Crepsley said he had "evil blood." I had had to become Mr. Crepsley's assistant if I wanted to save Steve's life, and he never believed that I had simply done it out of the goodness in my heart. He had thought that Mr. Crepsley and I had banded together just to be mean, just to torture him. The night I had been buried (I had faked my death) Steve stuck around and attacked me once I had been dug about by Mr. Crepsley. He wasn't strong enough to kill me yet though, so he ran away, but not before promising to kill me when he was ready.

Tears had formed in my eyes but I refused to let them fall, hoping Marisa thought it was just the rain.

She was silent for a long time. At last, she said, "You don't need to worry. I'll let Jenn know and some of the others so they can keep an eye on him. Is he the kind of person who would attack you in front of other people?"

I thought about it for a minute. My first instinct was that he would, but I also knew he could be incredibly sneaky.

"He might, but he wouldn't make it obvious. He'd make it seem like a freak-accident or even blame it on someone else."

"Alright. We'll just have to be careful." She smiled at me.

All of a sudden the corner of the building exploded. We dropped to the floor and I covered Marisa's body with my own. Once the shower of rubble subsided, we looked up. A small section of the roof had been blasted away.

"The lightning must have struck!" Marisa cried.

"Let's get inside!" I yelled.

Clutching her hand, I helped her to her feet and we dashed to safety. I slammed the door behind us, and we stood there for a moment, catching our breath. Once my heart had returned to normal, I looked at Marisa. She had a wild look in her eyes and her hair was a tangled mess.

"You alright?" I asked.

"Yes," she said, taking a deep breath.

We stood in silence for a few more minutes, listening to the storm rage just beyond the door.

"Wanna go back down?" I asked.

She nodded and we gradually strolled down the stairs. When we approached the staircase, she didn't head down like I expected, but brushed aside the curtain into the theatre. I stayed behind and observed her. She had a slight slouch—opposite from her usual perfect posture—and she dragged her legs sluggishly. She seemed distracted as she trailed her fingers delicately on the seats.

She turned to me. Tears pooled in the corners of her blue eyes and my heart ached for her.

"Hey," I said softly, hustling over and wrapping my arms around her. "What's the matter?"

She sniffled and to my astonishment buried her head in my shoulder. "I'm j-just not used t-t-to all th-this," she sobbed. "I don't want my friends g-getting hurt."

Holding her tighter, I murmured, "I'll protect you."

"Y-you will?"

"Yes."

"Promise?"

Again I was reminded of a little kid, but I said, "I promise."

My head snapped up.

"What?" Marisa asked, lifting her head as well.

"I thought I heard something. Stay here," I warned her, edging back toward the entrance.

I peeked through the curtains, my hand resting on my knife hilt, but I didn't see anything.

Suddenly I heard a scuffle behind me, and a cry that was cut short.

Whipping around, I saw a picture that made my blood run cold.

**Muahaha cliffhanger. Aren't I so evil? I just can't help myself :)**

**Review :D**


	9. Is This a Joke?

**Oh wow…sorry its been so long. School and all…and now im on the badminton team so I don't get home til like 6. Then I have homework and dinner. So writing is the last thing on my mind…along with flossing LOL**

**Anyway, I also had writers block. I do wish to continue this story, so its not discontinued lol despite your many beliefs im sure!**

**I think this story may only be half over…is that good? Haha. **

**K well…here we go! Lol**

CHAPTER 9 (I think.)

Steve had one arm gripping Marisa's waist tightly. His other hand was clamped over her mouth. His lips formed into a sadistic smirk.

"Darren! My friend! My partner!" He pulled Marisa closer to him mercilessly, causing a tiny whimper to escape her throat. "My enemy," he snarled.

"You can't kill me, Steve!" I said desperately.

"Oh, but I can," he responded. "I've grown stronger. After you left, I spent the rest of my childhood devoting my life to studying your kind, so I would be prepared when I finally met you."

He whirled Marisa around so she faced him, and she glared fiercely.

"Release me," she said icily.

Steve grinned.

"You don't want to hurt me," Marisa said calmingly. "You wouldn't be able to live with yourself, would you? You're naturally good at heart, and I can see that."

I wondered what the heck Marisa was doing, but it seemed to be working. Steve loosened his grip slightly, his eyes losing focus. But then he broke through it. Raising one hand, he held it in front of her face and moved it in a circle, concentrating hard. Marisa tried to fight it; I could almost see the internal battle between them.

All of a sudden Marisa's eyes glazed over. Her face relaxed and her eyes fluttered. Steve smiled triumphantly, bringing her close yet again. I still couldn't understand what was happening.

Marisa took a deep breath, focusing her eyes on Steve. To my horror, she smiled slightly.

"Hello, dear," Steve said softly.

"Hello, Eli," Marisa replied dreamily.

My jaw dropped all the way to the floor.

"What?" I exclaimed.

Steve laughed maniacally. "Haven't you figured it out yet, Shan?"

He released Marisa, and suddenly he was behind me. Then he was on the stage. Then he was next to Marisa, one arm around her waist, and she wasn't resisting. No human could move that fast…

"Vampire," I whispered.

"Ah, the politically correct term would be vampaneze."

Fury boiled inside me. "What did you do to Marisa?"

"A little trick I picked up on the road." He was still smiling.

Hypnotism? Suddenly I had a flashback to when I had first been blooded. I was in the bathroom, with my little sister, Annie, standing in front of me. She had a dazed look on her face as I leaned in toward her exposed neck…

I had _hypnotized _her!

Before I could react, a high-pitched voice resounded from the doorway behind me.

"_Steve!_"

Someone raced past me, black hair whipping behind them.

"Jenn, now is not the time," Steve murmured. Marisa was unaffected. She simply stared into space.

"But Steeeeve I _love _you!" Jenn exclaimed, hopping up and down.

She gripped his free arm and he glared at her angrily. Without hesitation, he flung her across the room. Her small body smacked against the wall and she slid down, unmoving. I hustled to her side. She was out cold.

When I turned back, Steve and Marisa were both gone, with only a paper in their place. Slowly, I walked over and picked it up. It was a brochure that read:

_Whistler/Blackcomb_

_Come visit the great city of Whistler!_

_Skiing and Snowboarding!_

_Inner tubing!_

_Bungee-Jumping!_

_Sleigh Rides!_

_And More!_

The inside had a list of hotels and restaurants.

Was this a hint? Did Steve take Marisa to Whistler? It was the only lead I had, and I decided to follow it.

Quickly, I scooped up Jenn and took her to her room. After laying her on her bed, I straightened up and, on a last minute impulse, slipped the brochure under her arm.

I considered the journey ahead. Being a half-vampire, I couldn't flit yet, and it would be cold. Sighing, I made my way to Lynne's room.

Knocking gently, I waited until the sea-boy opened the door, bleary-eyed. His tiredness immediately vanished, though.

"What do you want?" he snarled.

I bit my tongue. Now wasn't the time to argue.

Steeling myself, I mumbled, "I need your help."

His eyebrows rose into his hairline condescendingly.

"Marisa's in danger, up in Canada, and I can explain on the way if you just help me. Please." I explained quickly.

Lynne studied me critically, then surveyed the hallway around me, before returning his gaze.

"Is this a joke?" he asked.

I shook my head.

For the first time I saw worry flash in his eyes. "Hold on," he said.

He disappeared from the doorway, only to reappear a few minutes later with a backpack and two winter jackets. He handed me a jacket while slipping on his own, then slung the backpack straps over his shoulder.

"Ready?" he asked.

I nodded, pursing my lips in determination.

"Ready."

**Cheesy last few lines huh? Hahaha.**

**So…yea…I know what you're thinking. Whistler? How random is that? Haha. Well I just went to Whistler, so I have drawn lots of inspiration from there ^^ kk toodles!**


	10. No Problemo

**Yay! Im getting back on track with this again! I have some more ideas (one part is actually already written out ^^) and I can't wait to post it! Now just to figure out how to get there…**

**CHAPTER 10**

We held our breath, barely moving. If we were caught now we'd never reach Marisa.

The luck of the vampires was on our side, though, and we passed without incident.

We were crossing the national border into Canada. Hitching a ride in the back of a truck full of apples (unbeknownst to the driver), we had slept uncomfortably for the 5 hours until the vehicle slowed at the gate. The paperwork took longer than usual, since you needed a special license to transport food, and every second that ticked by brought us closer to being discovered.

Then the truck roared back to life and we sped off down the road. Judging by the signs, I figured we still had another 3 hours or so before reaching Whistler.

"What's in the bag?" I asked Lynne.

The boy sat up and reached for the backpack, unzipping it sluggishly. He pulled out a flashlight, a lighter, some rope, a few knives, a wad of cash (American), toiletries, some food, and a small blanket. It seemed like he had really prepared. There was a little extra room, so we stuffed some apples in there as well.

"You wouldn't happen to have a plan, would you?" Lynne posed tiredly.

"No," I replied quietly. "We'll just see when we get there I guess."

Silence enveloped us. Eventually the rocking of the truck lulled us into a restless slumber.

OoOoO

"Darren! Darren wake up!"

I cracked my eyes open to find Lynne shaking me roughly. "We're here," he said, lobbing the backpack over his shoulder.

Peeking out from behind the crates, all I could see were trees covered in snow. I turned back to Lynne but he was already climbing over the wooden sides and dropping onto the cement. Sighing, I followed his lead.

I surveyed my surroundings. We were next to a large building on the edge of the freeway that suggested it housed all sorts of foods. Highway signs pointed right, North, indicating Whistler was still 3 miles away.

"Are you a good runner?" I asked Lynne.

He nodded confidently and shot off without me. Sighing for the second time, I set off after him.

About half an hour later, we had reached the outskirts of Whistler.

"What now?" Lynne asked with the same tone as a small child who got bored with their game.

I didn't know. There were so many places we could look.

A man, quite out of the blue, approached us. He wore khakis and a jacket with some company logo on it.

"Hello boys! Would you like a pamphlet?" he asked. Lynne glared at the man and I shook my head politely, grabbing Lynne's arm and pulling him down the street into the town square. It was early in the morning and barely any people were walking around yet. I was thankful that Lynne remembered winter jackets.

Suddenly the same man materialized in front of us again. "Oh but there are so many things to do while you're here! Are you _sure _you wouldn't like a brochure?"

Something struck me. Brochure? On an impulse I snatched it from him and mumbled a thank you, before grasping Lynne again and hurrying away. I didn't notice the abnormality that he only had the one brochure, not an entire stack of them.

I rounded the corner and ducked into a restaurant: The Crêpe Montange. _Mountain Crêpes. _The place was tiny and smelled delicious, but I didn't have time to focus on that.

"What are you doing?" Lynne demanded, a little peeved that I had dragged him around like that.

"_Bonjour, _how can I help you?"

I glanced up and saw a middle-aged blonde woman smiling warmly at us. Lynne spoke something quickly in perfect French, and the woman's smile grew. She nodded and replied, then walked off to help the other customers.

"You're fluent in French?" I questioned, surprised.

Lynne nodded. "Marisa taught me."

I stared at him a moment, then returned to the brochure. I opened it up and there, in the center of the page, was an advertisement for a gondola ride. It was called the Peak to Peak, because it went from Whistler Mountain to Blackcomb Mountain, making it the longest unsupported gondola in the world. It was circled in red, and it wasn't a marker. I tried not to think about what it was or where it may have come from.

"Looks like we need to ride the gondola," said Lynne, reading from over my shoulder.

Nodding grimly, I folded the brochure back up and slipped it in my jacket pocket.

We walked to the base of the mountain, where the gondola started. It was just beginning to operate and early bird skiers stood eagerly in line. Snow flurried from the sky, adding to the excitement. Lynne bought our tickets, which we had to clip onto our coats. The line wasn't very long, and soon enough the doors of the compartment were banging shut behind us.

"Is this the Peak to Peak?" asked Lynne.

I shrugged. Luckily another snowboarder on the lift answered. "Naw, this takes you to the top of the mountain. Get off at the second stop, and there'll be plenty o' signs to point you in the right direction."

"Oh okay, thanks." I replied.

"No problem-o," the snowboarder said. He had an Australian accent. "So what're you two doin' if you don't have a board?"

"Our parents are up there already waiting for us with our skis," Lynne replied, lightning fast.

"Cool, mate."And with that, he retreated into himself.

When we reached the top of the mountain, we hopped off the gondola and sprinted outside. Only a few people milled about, sipping hot chocolate and strapping on skis and snowboards. A large building to our left had an enormous red sign that said 'Peak to Peak Gondola Rides.' Lynne and I dashed inside.

There weren't any employees. In fact, there weren't even tourists. But the gears were turning as one of the lifts pulled up and slowed. The doors slid open to reveal an empty compartment.

Suddenly I heard a muffled squeal and realized with a sickening notion that it wasn't empty at all. Marisa was kneeling, bound and gagged, on the floor. Her eyes were wide with fear and surprise. She vanished as the doors closed and the lift sped away back to Blackcomb Mountain.

"Marisa!" Lynne cried.

Another gondola appeared and we hastily boarded it. Once the doors slid shut, enclosing us inside, we raced out of the loading area and into open space. We were about 50 feet behind Marisa's gondola. But there was nothing we could do. Time seemed to slow as we inched along the cable. Without warning, the entire gondola came to an instant standstill. Lynne and I were thrown off our feet. With my face now presses against the glass bottom, I could see we were stranded high above the valley, exactly in the middle of the two mountain peaks.

"What happened?" Lynne groaned as he pushed himself up.

"I don't know," I murmured, looking around wearily. "Probably one of Steve's many tricks…"

Right as I spoke his name, I caught sight of him. He was slithering down the cable toward us. He stopped above the gondola Marisa occupied and opened the hatch in the ceiling. Smirking, he dropped inside. Unfortunately, I couldn't see what he was doing.

Lynne whispered, "Oh no," and plastered himself against the large window, trying to see. Our fears were confirmed when a blood-curdling scream floated into our ears.

"That's Marisa!" Lynne yelled. He stepped onto one of the seats and prepared to open the hatch, but I gripped his arm.

"No," I said calmly. "Let me go. This is my fight and I don't want either of you getting hurt."

Lynne began to protest, saw the fierceness in my eyes, and backed down.

Grabbing the lip of the now-open hatch, I swung my legs and hauled myself into the fresh air, 3000 feet above the ground.

"No Problem-o," I whispered to myself.

**Aha! Wahoo **** pretty epic huh? Huh? Hahaha. Btw, everything is going to be accurate. Its not made up because I just went to Whistler so im describing it as I remember it lol. **

**ReVeIw PlEaSe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**


	11. Kill Him

**Hey! It's me again! With another chapter! This is really short, but lucky for u I have the next one all written out! And I will post it as soon as I get 5 reviews :) teehee**

CHAPTER 11

"Don't look down, don't look down," I mumbled to myself as I hooked my legs around the steel wire and began inching my way toward the other gondola. I wasn't scared of heights, but even the bravest adrenaline junkie would be trembling at this elevation.

Growing closer to the lift Marisa and Steve currently occupied, I could make out their silhouettes behind the tinted windows. Marisa was now standing, being supported by Steve whose back was to me. At least he hadn't seen me coming yet.*

I only had a few more feet to go, and with the hatch still open I could hear a voice, deep and cold.

"Darren's coming to save you, but you don't want him to remember?"

"Yes," responded a monotone voice.

I edged my way onto the roof of the gondola and peeked inside. Steve still hadn't noticed. Marisa was no longer bound or gagged, but she had several bruises and cuts along her arms and legs. I pulled the knife I had concealed in my belt out when I heard something strange, and heart-rending at the same time.

"Because you love me, right?"

"Yes."

This time when I looked down, I saw Steve with his arms wrapped around Marisa's waist, a hungry glint in his eyes. Unhurriedly, he moved her farther and farther back until she was pressed against the nearest window. The vampaneze stroked her neck softly, admiring the porcelain white skin. Grinning wolfishly, he pieced the skin with his inhumanly sharp fingernails. Marisa didn't even flinch as Steve put his lips over the wound and began sucking ravenously. I knew vampaneze drained their prey dry, and I had to get in there quick.

I jumped onto his back and wrenched him away from Marisa, slamming him against the opposite window. Marisa barely moved.

A smirk spread across Steve's face, and he punched me in the gut, producing a knife from his coat pocket. As we slashed at each other, I shouted at Marisa, "Marisa! Get out of here!"

Suddenly she collapsed to her knees, out of breath.

I dodged a particularly strong lunge from Steve and his knife snapped against the glass. As he generated yet another, I glanced at Marisa. She brought her head up and we locked eyes. "Darren?" she asked faintly. Steve halted and swiveled toward her, angry and shocked. "How did you—" but he was cut off as I attacked Steve again, shoving him violently into one of the seats. He slumped, dazed. I crouched beside Marisa, who was now fully awake and watching the fight with wide eyes. "Are you OK?" I asked. When she nodded, I instructed her to climb out the hatch as fast as she could. Unfortunately, this put her awfully close to Steve. Just as she grabbed the rim, Steve suddenly snapped up and seized her around the waist, drawing her back down toward him. We paused. Marisa was panting, terror obvious in her bright eyes; Steve clutched her firmly with one arm, and pressed his knife against her already-bloodstained neck, sneering victoriously; I clasped my blade securely in my sweaty palm, balancing on the balls of my feet like Mr. Crepsley had taught me.

"Ready to give up, Darren?" Steve snarled.

"Why, Steve?" I pleaded. "Why is your biggest goal in life to _kill_ me?"

"Because you stole my dream! You and that Creepy Crepsley plotted against me."

"We didn't!" I shouted exasperatedly. "I gave up my life to save you, because I _cared _about you…" I trailed off to a whisper. "You were my friend, Steve. You still are."

Steve's grip on Marisa loosened, the knife lowered, and his previous sneer morphed into a small, sad frown.***

"Darren, I'm sorry," muttered Steve. Great relief washed over me. "Sorry to do this."

With a wicked grin, he handed Marisa the knife and whispered, "Kill him."

***Or has he? O.O go back and read that sentence haha**

**Remember! 5 reviews!!!!!**


	12. I Know How We Can Lose Them

**Well…I didn't get 5 reviews. Only 3 and some Story Alert/Favorite Story things which I guess I'll consider as a review…Although a review screen pops up when u do that so u might as well type something. Feedback would be nice because idk what you ppl want. So ya. Theres my rant of the day.**

**And because im so giving, here is another chapter. I don't even remember what chapter it is…….**

CHAPTER 12 I WANNA SAY…

She grasped the knife. Moving robotically, she advanced on me, eyes glazed, weapon poised. "Marisa?" I asked fearfully. Recognition flashed behind her eyes, but she continued to progress. Despite the knife I grasped her arms and stared deep into her eyes. "Marisa!"

She shook her head. "What…?" she mumbled, before toppling over.

"No! Kill him!" commanded Steve. She straightened up and lurched at me, swinging the knife in a wide arc.

"Please!" I shouted. "Don't let him get to you!"

Again, Marisa swooned and broke the trance. "Darren…help," she mumbled weakly before Steve took control again. I couldn't fight her back, but there was _someone_ I could. I hurled myself at Steve, knocking him over. His head smacked against the hard seat and he was knocked unconscious. Marisa carried on attacking me until I finally dodged behind her and latched her arms behind her back.

"Marisa, it's me, Darren. I'm your friend," I said soothingly despite how much I had the urge to shout and scream at her to snap out of it. Gradually, she relaxed in my arms. Gently, afraid she would faint; I spun her around to face her.

"Marisa?"

Her eyelids flickered and she leaned heavily in my arms. When she brought her head up, she smiled faintly at me, but it immediately melted as she focused on something behind me.

"No!" she cried, pushing me away. I heard a grunt of pain. I whipped around in time to see Steve crumple to the ground, holding his shoulder, his face contorted in pain. Marisa was shaking, looking at her hand as though it had done something terribly wrong.

"Come on," I said, placing my arm around her waist when she refused to move. I hustled her out the opening in the roof and was about to follow when I heard a scuffle behind me. Turning, I saw Steve standing on his feet, struggling with the pain of the knife embedded in his shoulder.

"You're such a dick," he muttered with an insane chuckle. Without warning he lunged at me, but I scrabbled out the opening in the nick of time. Marisa was already half-way down the cord, and I could just make out Lynne standing on top of the other lift, awaiting her arrival. I slipped my jacket off and was about to hook it over the cable when a hand gripped my ankle and yanked me back. I landed with a painful thud on the hard metal. Using my leg as leverage, Steve managed to heave himself out of the hatch and onto the rooftop. Instead of coming for me though, he crawled toward the cable Marisa was still on. Before I could react, he shook it violently.

Marisa let loose an ear-piercing scream as she was shaken loose, save for one hand.

Thank the vampire gods, Lynne slinked along the cable and managed to help her back on, then led her to the other gondola and slipped inside.

Steve growled audibly. He sprang at me but I rolled under him, hooked my jacket onto the cable, prayed the stitching would hold, and zip-lined all the way to the other gondola, where Lynne crouched, waiting to haul me up.

Once I was safely inside, I rushed to Marisa, who was lying on one of the longer benches with her eyes closed. As Lynne shut the hatch door, I heard Steve's calls drifting across the wind.

"You can't run, Shan! As soon as you step foot on solid ground my men will be waiting for you! Just you wait!" I chose to ignore his words, for I had more important matters to attend to.

Lynne and I kneeled beside Marisa, and I brushed the hair off her face as she opened her eyes.

I smiled softly, and she returned it. Suddenly the entire gondola lurched forward. We were moving again!

"What happened?" Marisa groaned. Lynne also gazed curiously at me.

"Steve hypnotized you," I explained. "But I seem to have the power to wake you up. While fighting, we went back and forth for a bit. That's why you must be so weak." I brushed some more hair back, and I saw the wound on her neck. I had completely forgotten it! It still leaked scarlet fluid, and it took all my will power not to feed on her.

We had no first aid, so I used my sleeve and pressed it to her neck.

As we neared the top of the mountain, I worried about Steve's words. I preferred _not _to be attacked with Marisa in such a feeble state.

Eventually the gondola slowed and the doors slid open. As we stepped out, me carrying Marisa's limp body, I fully expected to be swarmed by people. But when I looked around, all the employees were dead, strewn across the freezing ground. Steve was nowhere in sight. I didn't want to draw attention, so I set Marisa on her feet and placed my arm around her waist so I could still support her. Ducking our heads, the three of us hurried to the nearest gondola that would take us to the base of the mountain.

A while later we ended up back on the outskirts of Whistler, trudging along the freeway in the growing darkness, hoping someone would pick us up. "Shan!"

_No._

I shifted Marisa over to Lynne and slowly turned around.

"Go," I whispered to them.

Lynne hastened further along the freeway, while I stood rooted to the spot, tensing for an attack.

"Oh don't worry about a fight now, Darren," snarled Steve. "You're _girlfriend _nearly killed me with that stab. I'll admit: she's a feisty one." His lips twitched upwards for a moment, before returning to an evil sneer.

"But just you wait. In less than an hour my army will be able to travel outside, and _then _we'll kill you. And your friends, too."

"Shit," I breathed. I had to protect Marisa, so I spun on my heels and dashed off down the street—at vampire speed. I slowed long enough to grab Lynne and Marisa in either of my arms, then sped off again.

"Wait," said Marisa weakly. "Take the next left." I did as I was told and we sprinted up a bumpy dirt path. Great trees loomed all around us, casting giant shadows. A minute later, Marisa ordered me to stop.

"I know how we can lose them. Up here," she motioned toward a steep path. In the oncoming twilight I could see a large bridge at the top of the hill.

Once we arrived at the top, Marisa led us across the bridge, which spanned 200 feet above a river. As we neared the middle, I saw a railing with a bunch of harnesses, gigantic ropes and other supplies.

"A…bungee jumping bridge?" Lynne asked skeptically.

Marisa straightened. "Yes. Even if Steve could find us again, he would get confused as to where to go. Hopefully we can shake him off."

As she enlightened us on this suicidal idea, I peered over the edge. It was a fairly small river, with rapids further downstream, and forested banks on either side. A battle cry drifted over the wind, and we glanced at each other in horror.

"Put this on," Marisa ordered hastily, handing Lynne and me a harness. We hastily pulled it on while Marisa did the same. Once she had tightened the straps, she fixed ours then stepped back and reached for the bungee cord. Suddenly she froze.

"What is it?" I asked, sensing something terrible.

After a thoughtful pause, she said, "You can't have more than two people bungee-jump at the same time."

Automatically, I said, "You and Lynne go. I can fight off Steve if he catches up—"

"No!" Lynne interrupted. "You're exactly who he wants. I'll stay behind."

"But he'll kill you without a second thought." I retorted.

"Wait," Marisa said. "Why can't I stay behind? It'll only be for a few minutes—"

"Don't do that, Marisa!" Lynne shouted. She looked at him, hurt. He took a deep breath. "This is life and death, and he's already hurt you once. I…" he glanced at me. "_We _can't let that happen again. And the longer we stand here debating, the closer Steve gets to capturing us." I couldn't argue with him, so I allowed Marisa to clip the karabiner through our harnesses, connecting us closely together. I was thankful for the darkness to hide my slight blush.

We awkwardly shuffled to the open gate and onto the edge of nothingness.

"Now Lynne, after we're off the rope, I want you to pull this—" She pointed to a bright green string. "—and that should bring the cord back up. Then clip it onto this clip with the pink tape. After that you can jump. Once you stop bouncing, just unclip it and you'll fall. Got it?" She sounded so sure of herself, so confident. But Lynne only had worry in his eyes. "The water is completely snowmelt," Marisa continued. "So it's going to be cold. About 34 degrees. Fahrenheit."

"Alright," he replied. He stepped close to me and placed his hand on my shoulder. "Promise me you'll make sure she stays safe?"

All I could manage was a small nod. Everything was changing so quickly!

"Be careful," Marisa said softly, giving Lynne a quick hug. He took a few steps back while Marisa and I edged closer to the periphery so we both had one foot hanging off.

"Ready?" Marisa asked. I had a flashback to when Lynne and I were just heading off to save Marisa. It seemed like a week ago!

"Ready."

**Yep. There ya have it. updates will take longer, because im writing another story with Kristinaexpressive. You should check it out! It's a pretty cool idea :) so ya. Again, review while ur adding this story onto ur alert list please :)**


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